Today the public switched telephone network (PSTN) and other telephone networks such as cellular systems provide most telephone services based on number identification of the telephone set or line that each party uses. Services are personalized only to the extent that a party uses the same line and/or instrument. For example, a person typically has one set of service features and billing options available via a telephone on the person's desk at the office, another set of service features and billing options available via the telephone line to their home and perhaps a third set of service features and billing options available via a wireless telephone (e.g. cellular or personal communications service (PCS)). The networks process calls to and from each of these different subscriber telephones based on a separate telephone number. Also, a caller may use personalized billing options by using a calling card, but often the input operations for calling card service are overly complex. With the exception of calling card billing, each person using a particular telephone typically can only access those service features and billing options associated with the particular line or telephone instrument.
The proliferation of services causes subscribers inconvenience. For example, circumstances arise in which a subscriber may want a feature or billing option normally associated with one line or instrument, such as the office telephone, when they are in fact using a different line or instrument such as their home or PCS telephone. Alternatively, two or more persons using one telephone or line often want different sets of service options. Also, the extreme increase in demand for telephone services is rapidly exhausting the capacity of the network, particularly in terms of the telephone numbers available under the current numbering plan.
A number of specific solutions have been proposed for individual problems, such as work at home and/or transfer of service to new location(s) as an individual travels. However, each of these solutions is limited or creates its own new problems.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,313,035 to Jordan et al. discloses a method of using an intelligent network to provide a `follow-me` type service through multiple exchanges of the switched telephone network using an AIN type of telephone system architecture. Each subscriber to the locator service has a unique person locator telephone number. To access the system to update data in a service control database, the subscriber dials 0700 and his unique person locator telephone number. The telephone switching office routes the call to a traffic service position system (TSPS) which prompts the caller (e.g. provides an additional dial tone) and receives further digits from the subscriber. The subscriber inputs a three digit access code, indicating the type of update call, and a four-digit personal identification number. If calling from the remote station to which the subscriber wishes his calls routed, the local switching office forwards the line identification number of that station to the TSPS. The TSPS forwards the dialed information and the line identification to the database for updating the particular subscriber's location record. A caller wishing to reach the subscriber dials the subscriber's unique person locator number. A telephone switching office sends the dialed number to the central database. The database retrieves the stored completion number for the called subscriber and forwards that number back to the switching office to complete the call.
The Jordan et al. approach allows calls to follow the subscriber to each new location, but the subscriber must have a unique telephone number for this service. Each station that receives a call also must have a unique telephone number. As such, the Jordan et al. approach actually exacerbates the shortage of telephone numbers. Also, Jordan et al. rely on subscriber input of identification numbers. Subscribers often find this inconvenient, and this technique is often prone to number entry errors.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,899,373 to Lee et al. discloses a system for providing special telephone services to a customer on a personal basis, when the customer is away from his or her home base or office. The personalized services are provided in a multiple exchange office environment, using a central database for feature control. The nationally accessible central database system stores feature data in association with personal identification numbers. A subscriber wishing to use his personalized features while away from home base dials a special code and presents the personal identification number. The exchange transmits a query to the central database, and the corresponding feature data is retrieved from the database. The database forwards the feature data to the exchange, and the exchange stores the received feature data in association with the station from which the request was initiated. Subsequently, the exchange accesses the downloaded feature data to provide telephone service corresponding to the subscriber's personalized telephone features via the station the subscriber is currently operating from. A temporary office arrangement may be established in which the personalized features will be immediately available on incoming and outgoing calls for a period of time specified by the subscriber.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,206,899 to Gupta et al. pertains to a system wherein a subscriber can assign desired characteristics to any "target station" which is an active telephone accessible to a telecommunications network. A call thereafter that originates from the target station can use customized features, such as account code dialing and corporate billing arrangements. Initially, a service profile is created and stored for each subscriber and contains information describing desired features and billing options. The characteristics of a particular target station are changed by an activation process that can be initiated from any location. Automatic number identification (ANI) information associated with the target station is entered into an ANI trigger table in an intelligent switch, and the service profile is loaded into a database. When a call originates from the target station, information in the database is applied to the switch to provide the desired characteristics. An example of one of the features is when an employee of company X wishes to make business related calls from his/her telephone, the call has the characteristics of a call made from the office by a special billing arrangement.
Like Jordan, the Lee et al. and Gupta et al. systems depend on a dialed number entry by the subscriber to activate the service. Also, the Lee et al. and Gupta et al. systems do not provide a simple manner for more than one subscriber to obtain personalized service over the same telephone line. In Lee et al., during the period when the switch stores the roaming subscriber's profile in association with the line, all calls are processed based on that one profile. Similarly, in Gupta et al., while the ANI trigger is set against the line, all outgoing calls cause database access and use of the subscriber's profile in the database. There is no way to fall back on the normal profile for that line unless and until the service for the roaming subscriber is cancelled with respect to that one line.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,247,571 to Kay et al. discloses an Area Wide Centrex service provided by an advanced intelligent telephone network. The service provides centrex features, such as extension dialing, to multiple locations. The Kay et al. Patent also suggests a Work-at-Home feature. This feature allows the home telephone line to selectively operate as a residential line or as a Centrex business line, on a call-by-call basis. For a business call, the user would preface each call with an access indicator to identify a business call. When an outgoing call from the home line lacks the access indicator, the network processes the call as a standard residential call.
The Work-at-Home feature in the Kay et al. system requires only dialing of a code before each outgoing business call. However, the Kay et al. approach requires that the business profile is stored in association with the home line before the subscriber makes the call. The subscriber can use the Centrex billing and service features from the business account only from a home telephone previously associated with the business line. The subscriber can not use the billing and service features from the business account from any randomly selected telephone. Also, from the home line, a person can either use the normal residential profile service or the pre-defined business profile service. There is insufficient flexibility to enable a wider range of services for multiple subscribers through the one line.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,422,936 to Douglas J. Atwell, issued Jun. 6, 1995, describes an Enhanced Message Service Indication. For a number of years, telephone companies have been providing a service which assigned two or more directory numbers per line and corresponding distinctive ringing signals. One of the telephone switch vendors refers to this feature as "Multiple Directory Numbers per Line" or "MDNL." This patent provides a system for providing voice mail service in a MDNL situation. The system is effective in serving its intended purpose but assumes the assignment of one directory or telephone number for each subscriber or service. As previously stated the current demand for telephone services is rapidly exhausting the capacity of the network, particularly in view of the telephone numbers available under the current numbering plan.
Also, the above discussed examples of prior suggestions to customize services have not adapted the caller identification to correspond to the actual party using the telephone on the outgoing call. For example, in a system like that of Lee, Gupta or Kay, the caller might use features and billing options associated with her personalized or work service, but any such calls would produce a caller ID display identifying the number of the station from which she originated the call. If the called party subscribed to the name type enhanced caller ID, the network would provide a name associated with that telephone number, not the name of the actual calling party.
Another enhanced service which has become extremely popular is so called Voice Mail service. Voice mail is a service which may be considered a custom calling service and normally includes in its operation the use of call forwarding. Voice mail has become commonplace not only in business usage but also on an individual telephone service subscriber basis through Centrex service from a central office. A voice mail system is a specialized computer that stores messages in digital form on a fixed disk. The voice is generally digitized, usually at a much slower rate than the 64 Kb/s signal the central office uses in its switching network. The digitized voice is compressed and stored on a hard disk that maintains the voice mail operating system, system prompts, and greetings, and the messages themselves. A processor controls the compressing, storing, retrieving, forwarding and purging of files. A form of early systems is described in Matthews et al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,371,752 (hereinafter the Matthews '752 Patent), issued in Feb., 1983, and several related patents. U.S. Pat. No. 4,585,906 (hereinafter the Matthews '906 Patent), issued Apr. 29, 1986 to Gordon H. Matthews et al. The Matthews '906 Patent is a continuation-in-part of the Matthews '752 Patent. U.S. Pat. No. 4,602,129 (hereinafter the Matthews '129 Patent), issued Jul. 22, 1986 to Gordon H. Matthews et al. The Matthews '129 Patent is a continuation-in-part of the '752 Matthews Patent.
The three Matthews Patents each describe a voice mailbox type system using digital storage and programmed control to offer a wide variety of message storage, forwarding and delivery type services.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,625,081, issued Nov. 25, 1986, to Lawrence A. Lotito, et al. This patent describes an automated telephone voice service system which provides automatic recording and editing of voice messages as well as forwarding of recorded voice messages to other accounts and telephone numbers with or without operator assistance.
In all of the foregoing systems voice mail is provided to a single subscriber premises line or, as in the Atwell Patent, to a single subscriber number.
A need still exists for an effective and user friendly system for providing personalized calling service features, including actual subscriber identification for voice mail purposes. In particular a need exists for a system for providing personalized features which would facilitate a degree of call control permitting the accomplishment of new functions, including enhanced voice mail and voice mail roaming, and which would improve the handling of functions which are now subject to being accomplished only in cumbersome and inconvenient fashions.